Resilient non-collapsible tire.



D. E'TILLMAN.

.Patented June 1916 mvantoz l). E. Iz'lllmcoro.

, q v w UNITED STATES I ATENT OFFICE.

DAVID E. TILLMAN, 0F SELMA, ALABAMA.

RESILIENT NON-COLLAPSIBLE TIRE.

Application led October 5, 1915.

VVllc it known' that I. DAvio E. TILLMAN, a citizen of the [Inited States, residing at Selina. in the county of Dallas and State of Alabama. have invented new and useful Iliiprovements in Resilient Fon-Collapsible T ires. of which the following isa specification. j

This invention relates to resilient tires. and the object in view is to providewhat I term a resilient'non-collapsible core or vsup-v porting member for the outer casings'of the lthe present day pneumatic tires, the said annulus A there is an inwardly extending.

core forming an efficient support for the outer casing and doing away entirely with the inflation of the tire by means of air and thereby rendering the tire as a whole immune from punctures and blow outs and the annoyance, delay and other troubles incident to the use of pneumatic tires.

ll'ith the above general object in view,

the invention consists in the novel construction. combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described. illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings z-Figure 1 is across section through avcoinpleto tire showing the resilient core of this invention in its applied relation to an outer casing of the clencher type. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective' vie'w of the resilient annulus broken away toshow the relation of the springs thereto. i

An ordinary outer casing is shown at l; the same being illustrated as of the clencher type. being provided with the usual clencher beads 2 along the longitudinal margins thereof.

In vcarrying out the present invention7 I provideaY resilient annulus designated generally at A. said annulus being formed of rubber and embodyinga transversely arcuate-body 3 which is split or divided longitudinally at et and provided with outwardly extendingV marginal portions of. hook shape in cross section so asto embracethe clencher beads 2 of the outer casing 1 as clearly illustrated in the drawings. C entralljx of the tread portion of the resilient resilient rib 6 which runs longitudinally around the inner face of the annulus. This rib ispreferably solid inv cross section and is also formed in cross section in suoli a shape that the maximum width thereof is ata point remote from the tread portion of the annulus. In other words, the rib 6l is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

seriai No. 54,228.

reduced in width adjacent to its junction with the body of the annulus 3 the purpose be held together. In this way all of the 'springs are fastened to the inside of the resilient annulus and the latter vacts to hold all of the springs iii-proper spaced relation to'. each other.- Each spring tapers or is gradually reduced in width from the outer central p ortion thereof towardv the ends bent outwardly to form hook shaped portions 9 which-embrace vthe 'corresponding portions 5 of the' resilient annulus A. As shown in Fig. l, the outwardly turned marginal portions ofthe resilient annulus and likewise thev outwardly turned hookv shaped. end portions of all of the springs embracethe cle-richer beads ofthe outer'casing l of the tire and in'this way thev coinplete resilentcore is held in the proper relation to the outer casing. In case one of the springs should become fractured. the parts thereof may be removed and a.' new spring readilysu'bstituted therefor without disturbing the remainder of the tire. tire equipped with the resilient core of this inventionis proofagainst punctures. blow outs and the like, self-supporting and requires no inflation. The same resiliency and elasticity is provided as in aninflated pneumatic tire and the action of tlie springs `within the annulus is rendered particularly effective by reason of the fact that a central thereof and the'ends of each spring are pull inwardly is obtained onl each spring by 7 reason of the relationship existing between the' looped centralportion of each spring and theinwardly extending annular rib 6. Furthermore. as the rib 6 is pressed inwardly the effect is tocause the portions of each spring at opposite sides of the rib to more firmly clamp or bind against said rib thereby `avoiding any tendency' ofthe "springs to shift or Creep longitudinally of the annulus. i Furthermore, it will be understood that the annulus byreason 'of the rib 6 straddles all` of the springs and serves as a -stringer-fortheentire annular series of l springs'.

Haring claim l. A resilient core insertible in and removable from an unmounted outer easing, said 10 core embodying a resilient annulus in the form of a rubber tube vsplit longitudinally along its rim faceand haring its longitudinal margins extended outwardly, an annular l series of springs each having a generally arched main portion extendingtransversely of said annulus vand also having outwardly extending end portions embracing the out-A /Wardlyfextended longitudinal margins of Said annulus, and an internal resilient an- Athus described' my invention, I

* nular sprinof retaining rib extending longitudinally of the annulus, said rib engaging andlholding the springs against displacement and in-a denite relation to the annulus when the core and outer casing are separated.

' 2. In a tire, a resilient core insertible in and removable from an outer casing, saidcore embodying a'resilient annulus in the form of a rubber tube split longitudinally along its rim face, an annular interna-l resilient rib extending longitudinally of the tread portion of said annulus and formed in 4such shape in cross section that the maximum width thereof is remote vtrom the junction of the rib With the tread portion of the annulus, and an annular series of springs each having a generally arched main portion extending transversely of said annulus and also having outwardly extending hook shaped end portions embracing the longitudinal margins of said annulus, each spring. being further shaped centrally to forman open `loop Which embraces said-rib and holds'the spring and annulus together. In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID E. TILLMAN.

Witnesses: y OTIs M. KENDRIGKS, GERTRUDE L. BROADWAY. 

